Archive for asus
Asus Fonepad Now on Pre-Order in the UK for £179.99
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Asus has stated announced that its Fonepad can be pre-ordered in the UK starting April 12th, with deliveries to begin by April 26. This marks about a month’s delay, considering the voice enabled tablet was earlier set for a March release. Price has been fixed at £179.99 and can be procured from Amazon, Carphone Warehouse, and Sainsburys.
The most interesting aspect with the Fonepad, apart from its phone calling capability, is that it features an Intel heart. The tablet is built around an Atom Z2420 processor while running Android Jelly Bean, which is a rare combination. The tablet includes 1 GB RAM, 16 GB storage, front and rear cameras, and a 1280 x 800 pixel 7 inch display. The tablet offers 10 hours of runtime.
Asus MeMO Pad ME172V Now Available in the US for $149
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Asus has finally launched its budget Android tablet, the MeMO Pad ME172V, in the US. Prices start at a very comfortable $149, though that also means there are a few compromises to be made. These include a less capable 7 inch 1024 x 600 pixel display. The rest of the specifications list 1 GHz VIA WM8950 CPU and 1 GB of RAM, along with 16 GB of internal memory that is further expandable via microSD cards. The tablet runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.
Recent reviews of the MeMO Pad ME172V have been pretty impressive with acceptablet levels of performance, good battery, and excellent quality. Of course, it has not been designed to be a speed demon, but does fit in as a nice budget tablet.
Next Gen Nexus 7 Coming July, Will Sport a Qualcomm Chip
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The next gen Nexus 7 will be ready for launch towards July, reports Reuters. The news agency further revealed Google and Asus will be banking on Qualcomm to power the new Nexus 7 device. Sources said chips from both NVIDIA and Qualcomm were put to test, and the latter made the cut reportedly due to its power saving credentials.
Other details of the upcoming device include a thinner bezel design and an even better display, both of which play a significant role in enhancing a tablet’s appeal. Sources also claim Google and Asus are aiming to ship no less than 8 million of the new Nexus 7 by the year end, which seems quite achievable if they can keep the basics right. The first gen Nexus 7 proved to be the perfect combination of good design, excellent display, and slick performance, which together with an affordable price tag ensured it was among the highest selling Android tablets.
While the new Nexus 7 is expected to improve on this, prices will continue to be an important factor in ensuring its appeal remains high. Google is likely to continue with the same $199 and $149 prices for the new Nexus 7 devices. What remains to be seen is whether the first gen Nexus 7 will be scrapped altogether or will featured at a discount of $199, something that Amazon has done with the original Kindle Fire. That would be a great deal for a tablet that still has a lot of appeal.
As for its competitor, Apple is expected to release the next iPad Mini 2 around the same time, while a new Kindle Fire is also on the horizon. Samsung is readying a new Galaxy Tab variant with a high resolution display for release during fall, and a smaller 7 inch tablet running Windows 8 cannot be ruled out. In short, it’s exciting times ahead in the tablet segment.
Apple Cutting iPad Mini Shipments in Q2 2013
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Apple is reported to have set in motion plans to cut production of its iPad Mini in the second quarter this year, a move which industry experts believe could be a way to herald in the new gen iPad Mini. On the cards is a 20 percent cut in production of the iPad Mini in April, followed by more later on. In fact, the report carried at Digitimes claims Apple plans to bring iPad Mini shipments down to just 10 million in the quarter. However, it’s not known for sure if the plan to cut production can be attributed entirely to the coming of a new iPad Mini or from increased competition from the new budget tablets launched in the past month or so.
In fact, there is a whole new segment that has come up with prices ranging below the $199 mark, which at one time was considered the lowest a tablet can sell for. Also notably, it’s the biggies in the business such as HP, Acer, Asus, and the likes that have launched tablets in the ultra low price bracket. Then there also is the Galaxy Note 8.0 from Samsung that is expected to provide some stiff competition to the iPad Mini if it’s priced right. Apple CEO Tim Cook has cautioned it would be unwise to make too much about reports of production cuts stating that the company typically sources its components from various manufacturers so that such data from supply chain sources cannot always offer a true picture of the real scenario.
Acer, Asus Expecting Strong Demand for Tablet PCs
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Taiwanese manufacturers Asus and Acer are gearing up for a higher demand of Android tablet devices this year. Both have expressed confidence in being able to ship no less than 10 million of these in 2013. Analysts are also predicting a sharp increase in demand for low cost tablets, something corroborated with a mad rush among manufacturers to launch low cost tablets running the Android platform. Acer has already launched the Acer Iconia B1, the two versions of which will be priced at $150 and $179. Asus already found success with the Nexus tablet devices in the low coast segment, and has also launched a budget tablet of its own in the form of the MeMO Pad range. On offer is a 7 and 10 inch version priced competitively at around $195 and $300 respectively.
Among the other bigwigs in the business that have joined the tablet segment is HP’s recently launched Slate 7, priced affordably at just $179. Lenovo has established itself as the second biggest tablet vendor in the US primarily through budget priced tablet devices. Summing up the market mood, Acer CEO J.T. Wang said, “The market is mature, and it’s a good opportunity for Acer and other players too.”
The general approach with the new range of budget tablets is to cut corners on offering fancy features like a high end camera while ensuring decent to good levels of performance. This will ensure the tablet PCs will make for a good buy for general computing tasks along with watching videos, listening to music, reading ebooks, or playing games.
Apple iPad 3 vs. Asus MemoPad Smart
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In this Good e-Reader Comparison Video we check out the Apple iPad 3 and the Asus MemoPad Smart 10.1 edition. This is the battle of a very low cost large screen Android tablet, pitted against the iPad 3.
Over the course of this video comparison, we check out the overall e-reading experience on both of these tablets. We will evaluate comics, newspapers, magazines, and ebooks. The one great thing about larger screen displays is the ability to fit more content on it at any given time. Of course, ten inch tablets lack the portability factor that the seven inch models bring to the table, but make up for it with added screen real estate.
Asus Transformer Book Now on Sale in Japan
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The Windows 8 based 13 inch Transformer Book that Asus had launched long back (at the June 2012 Computex to be precise) is now finally ready to make it to the store shelves. However, that is a Japan only phenomenon as of now and Asus hasn’t revealed when it is going to be extended to the rest of the world.
About the tablet, the Transformer Book lives up to what the Transformer range from Asus is known for. The tablet comprised of a 13 inch display that can be attached to a keypad unit, turning the entire thing into a notebook device. The tablet offers a 1920 x 1080 pixel display, weighs a shade less than a kilo, and is built around an Intel Core i5 chip, 4 GB of RAM, and 128 GB of internal storage. The keypad unit houses a separate hard drive of 500 GB capacity, as well as a separate battery unit, two USB 3.0 ports, and a full sized SD card slot, while adding another kilo to the overall weight. Unfortunately, the combined battery backup times add up to just about 6 hours, a far cry from the lofty figures that the Transformers are usually identified with. The tablet part alone is said to deliver five hours. In any case, six hours of run time is decent enough to be identified in the ultrabook space. In this state, the Transformer Book commands a price tag of around $1280.
A higher speced version is also in the works. One that will have Core i7 chip and maybe a batter battery unit, and (of course!) a bigger price tag.
Asus Transformer Pad TF300 Gets Android 4.2 Update
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Asus is rolling out the Android 4.2 update for Transformer Pad TF300 users in the US starting today. The Transformer Pad is among the very few tablet devices in the 10 inch category to join the Android Jelly Bean club. The update will introduce all the goodies of the latest Android version, including support for multi-user login, an improved keyboard layout, and so forth. The tablet will also get a performance boost along with better stability.
Asus though hasn’t stated when the update will be made available in other regions of the world. However, Asus stated it will bring more of its tablets under the umbrella of the latest Android version. The Transformer Prime Infinity, the 7 inch MeMO Pad, and the recently launched MeMO Pad Smart 10 are touted to be next in line to receive the Jelly Bean update.
Asus MeMO Pad Smart ME301T Set for US Launch on March 5th
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The Asus MeMO Pad Smart ME301T is all set to invade the US retail scene from the 5th of March. Just a slot below the Transformer Pad, the MeMO Pad offers decent specs in the form of a 1.2 Ghz Tegra 3 quad core heart, 1 GB RAM, and 16 GB of internal memory. The tablet runs Android 4.1 and also boasts of a few nice tech bits, like a microSD card slot and a micro HDMI port, along with the usual Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity options. However, it’s the tablet’s expected price of $299 that could emerge as the real game changer. At that price, what you get is a 10.1 inch (1280 x 800 pixel) tablet that offers decent specs with decent levels of performance. It’s a standard no frills tablet at a relatively inexpensive price tag that should be able to deliver on most counts.
Asus Fonepad Launched, Priced at $249 – Makes Phone Calls
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The Asus Fonepad is finally official. Launched at the MWC, the unique aspect of the Fonepad is its ability to be both a tablet and a smartphone at the same time. However, the other interesting bit about the Fonepad (apart from its voice calling capability) is its Intel heart in spite of the device running Android. The Fonepad incorporates a 1.2 GHz Intel Atom Z2420 chip coupled to a 1 GB RAM, along with a 8/16 GB internal memory. There also is a microSD card slot to allow for a max storage of 32 GB. Asus is also offering 5 GB of “Lifetime Webstorage” with the Fonepad.
Other qualities of the Fonepad include front (1.2 megapixel) and rear (3 megapixel) facing webcams, WiFi, HSPA+, along with a 7 inch 1280 x 800 pixel display upfront. Asus is also claiming a 10 hour battery life for the Fonepad. The tablet runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.
Asus has stated the 8 GB version of the Fonepad will reach stores by March and will cost $249. This will be followed by the European launch of the 16 GB version of the tablet in April, which has been priced 219 euros.
Asus 10 Inch MeMO Pad Tablet Will Go on Sale in Taiwan from Feb 25th
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Asus has stated it will begin selling the 10 inch MeMO Pad Smart ME301 in Taiwan on February 25th. The tablet will be priced NT$11,900 in local currency, which converts to around US$402. However, will probably drop for the US, since electronic goods generally come cheap in that part of the world, though, Asus has not revealed when it plans to launch the MeMO Pad in the US.
As for the tablet, the MeMO Pad sports pretty decent specs in the form of a Tegra 3 quad core chip, 1 GB RAM, and 16 GB of internal memory. Asus has stated that users of the MeMO Pad will also be entitled to 5 GB of free cloud storage as well. The tablet runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and is expected to have a battery life of 8.5 hours.
The MeMO Pad was earlier launched at a mobile expo in Thailand.
Meanwhile, here is the official promo video of the MeMo Pad.
Asus Fonepad Gets CGF Certification
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An Intel powered tablet running Android from Asus is slated for a MWC debut next week. The tablet has so far been referred to as the Fonepad, which seems to fit it well given its voice calling capabilities. As things stand right now, the new budget tablet from Asus will indeed be named the Fonepad, as that’s just the way the tablet has been described at the Global Certification Forum. The forum is essentially a membership between mobile device manufacturers, mobile network operators, and the testing centers. It acts as an independent certification authority that sees to it whether a device is compatible with network operators worldwide. Needless to say, Asus Fonepad has already obtained its CGF certification and is likely to reach markets towards Q2 2013.
The Fonepad’s claim to fame is its Intel Atom ME371MG heart that will dance to the tune of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. The rest of the specs include a 1 GB RAM, microSD card slot, 4270 mAh battery, along with 3 and 1.2 megapixel at the rear and front respectively. The tablet is likely to be priced competitive enough to make for an entry level tablet offering.
Asus MeMo Pad Smart ME301T Jelly Bean Tablet Launched
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Asus has chosen to launch its 10 inch MeMo Pad tablet at a mobile expo in Thailand, belying the general perception that the upcoming Mobile World Congress event in Spain could have made for a more appropriate venue. With that settled, the Memo Pad Smart tablet is now on sale in Thailand for 10,900 baht, which translates to a quite convenient $366 US.
Meanwhile, the tablet’s specs are in line with what was expected. This includes a 1.2 GHz quad core Tegra 3 chip, a 1 GB RAM, and 16 GB of on-board storage. The tablet runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and will be available in white, blue, and pink.
Below is a short video depicting the tablet in action.
